WOMENSTENNIS1/21JLU97/SP/SMHC
Lori McNeil of Houston, TX, returns a shot against Linda Wild during first round action at the Bank of the West Classic at Stanford. CHRONICLE PHOTO BY SUSIE MING HWA CHU.

WOMENSTENNIS1/21JLU97/SP/SMHC
Lori McNeil of Houston, TX, returns a shot against Linda Wild during first round action at the Bank of the West Classic at Stanford. CHRONICLE PHOTO BY SUSIE MING HWA CHU.

Photo: SMHC, STAFF

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Lori McNeil of the United States plays a return to fellow countrywoman Jennifer Capriati during their Women's Singles match at Wimbledon, Thursday June 25, 1998. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant) HOUCHRON CAPTION (06/26/1998): Houstonian Lori McNeil after her victory over Jennifer Capriati at Wimbledon less

Lori McNeil of the United States plays a return to fellow countrywoman Jennifer Capriati during their Women's Singles match at Wimbledon, Thursday June 25, 1998. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant) HOUCHRON CAPTION ... more

John Wilkerson and Lori McNeil at River Oaks Country Club Thursday, Oct. 18, 2006. Lori is one of the USTA national tennis coaches and is a former touring pro from Houston and John is her former coach. ( Melissa Phillip / Houston Chronicle) less

John Wilkerson and Lori McNeil at River Oaks Country Club Thursday, Oct. 18, 2006. Lori is one of the USTA national tennis coaches and is a former touring pro from Houston and John is her former coach. ( ... more

Photo: MELISSA PHILLIP, STAFF

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10/12/04--John Wilkerson (Left), Director of Tennis for the Zina Garrison Tennis Academy, stands with one of his proteges, Willie Thompson. Photo by Steve Campbell HOUCHRON CAPTION (10/17/2004) SECMETRO: TEAM: Willie Thompson, right, says John Wilkerson, left, and the Zina Garrison Tennis Academy helped keep his life on course. less

10/12/04--John Wilkerson (Left), Director of Tennis for the Zina Garrison Tennis Academy, stands with one of his proteges, Willie Thompson. Photo by Steve Campbell HOUCHRON CAPTION (10/17/2004) SECMETRO: ... more

Photo: Steve Campbell, Staff

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Zina Garrison won a gold medal in doubles at the 1988 Seoul Olympics and was ranked as high as No. 4 in the world during her career.

Zina Garrison won a gold medal in doubles at the 1988 Seoul Olympics and was ranked as high as No. 4 in the world during her career.

Former professional tennis player Zina Garrison posed at MacGregor Park in Houston for the Chronicle monday Aug. 2, 3004. HOUCHRON CAPTION (08/05/2004): WOMAN OF THE HOUR: Zina Garrison will be honored tonight by the American Tennis Association. less

Former professional tennis player Zina Garrison posed at MacGregor Park in Houston for the Chronicle monday Aug. 2, 3004. HOUCHRON CAPTION (08/05/2004): WOMAN OF THE HOUR: Zina Garrison will be honored ... more

Photo: Andrew Innerarity, Staff

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Martina Navratilova and Zina Garrison at the Legends of tennis event in the Woodlands 10/17/98 HOUCHRON CAPTION (10/18/1998): Martina Navratilova has a laugh with her doubles partner, Zina Garrison, during their match. HOUCHRON CAPTION (10/18/1999): Celebrating birthdays today are Martina Navratilova and Wynton Marsalis. less

Martina Navratilova and Zina Garrison at the Legends of tennis event in the Woodlands 10/17/98 HOUCHRON CAPTION (10/18/1998): Martina Navratilova has a laugh with her doubles partner, Zina Garrison, ... more

From left: Zina Garrison, John Wilkerson and Lori McNeil at the "Story of Love" gala benefitting the Zina Garrison Tennis Academy at the Houstonian Hotel Saturday Nov.16,2013. (Dave Rossman photo)

From left: Zina Garrison, John Wilkerson and Lori McNeil at the "Story of Love" gala benefitting the Zina Garrison Tennis Academy at the Houstonian Hotel Saturday Nov.16,2013. (Dave Rossman photo)

Photo: Dave Rossman, Freelance

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01/11/1983 - Zina Garrison in match against Andrea Jaeger at the 1983 Virginia Slims tennis tournament in the Astroarena.

01/11/1983 - Zina Garrison in match against Andrea Jaeger at the 1983 Virginia Slims tennis tournament in the Astroarena.

Photo: Steve Ueckert, HC Staff

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01/11/1983 - Zina Garrison in match against Andrea Jaeger at the 1983 Virginia Slims tennis tournament in the Astroarena.

01/11/1983 - Zina Garrison in match against Andrea Jaeger at the 1983 Virginia Slims tennis tournament in the Astroarena.

Photo: Steve Ueckert, HC Staff

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01/11/1983 - Zina Garrison in match against Andrea Jaeger at the 1983 Virginia Slims tennis tournament in the Astroarena.

01/11/1983 - Zina Garrison in match against Andrea Jaeger at the 1983 Virginia Slims tennis tournament in the Astroarena.

Photo: Steve Ueckert, HC Staff

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01/11/1983 - Zina Garrison in match against Andrea Jaeger at the 1983 Virginia Slims tennis tournament in the Astroarena.

01/11/1983 - Zina Garrison in match against Andrea Jaeger at the 1983 Virginia Slims tennis tournament in the Astroarena.

Photo: Steve Ueckert, HC Staff

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01/19/1981 - John Wilkerson, left plays Zina Garrison, this year's winner of the Junior Wimbledon.

01/19/1981 - John Wilkerson, left plays Zina Garrison, this year's winner of the Junior Wimbledon.

Photo: Carrie Beth Tucker, HC Staff

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10/06/1987 - Tennis players Lori McNeil and Zina Garrison with John Wilkerson, the former Houston parks tennis center professional who started the girls on their rise to fame through his MacGregor Park development program. less

10/06/1987 - Tennis players Lori McNeil and Zina Garrison with John Wilkerson, the former Houston parks tennis center professional who started the girls on their rise to fame through his MacGregor Park ... more

Photo: Steve Ueckert, HC Staff

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05/1982 - Local tennis player Zina Garrison went to Sterling High School

05/1982 - Local tennis player Zina Garrison went to Sterling High School

04/20/1987 - Zina Garrison gets down low for a return at the net in Virginia Slims doubles play at Lakeside Racquet Club.

04/20/1987 - Zina Garrison gets down low for a return at the net in Virginia Slims doubles play at Lakeside Racquet Club.

Photo: Howard Castleberry, HC Staff

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Zina Garrison, left, coach John Wilkerson and Lori McNeil at the "Story of Love" gala for the Zina Garrison Tennis Academy in 2013 at the Houstonian Hotel.

Zina Garrison, left, coach John Wilkerson and Lori McNeil at the "Story of Love" gala for the Zina Garrison Tennis Academy in 2013 at the Houstonian Hotel.

Photo: Dave Rossman, Freelance

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Lori McNeil made the semifinals of two major tournaments - the 1987 U.S. Open and 1994 Wimbledon - and was ranked as high as No. 9.

Lori McNeil made the semifinals of two major tournaments - the 1987 U.S. Open and 1994 Wimbledon - and was ranked as high as No. 9.

Photo: SMHC, STAFF

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Zina Garrison, right, and Lori McNeil paired up to make the finals of the 1987 Australian Open before losing to Martina Navratilova and Pam Shriver.

Zina Garrison, right, and Lori McNeil paired up to make the finals of the 1987 Australian Open before losing to Martina Navratilova and Pam Shriver.

Photo: Howard Castleberry, HC Staff

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Tennis pioneers: Garrison and McNeil from Houston to Centre Court

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Long after Althea Gibson crashed tennis' lily-white party and before Venus and Serena Williams became the sport's most dominant siblings of any color or gender, two young African-American women from a working-class neighborhood southeast of the University of Houston had quietly gone about the business of upsetting apple carts themselves.

Despite Gibson's outlier trailblazing in the late 1950s, when she won both Wimbledon and the U.S. Nationals, her championships had no lasting impact. Tennis remained a country-club sport in the U.S. well into the 1970s. But then one afternoon, circa 1974, a teaching pro at the MacGregor Park Tennis Center (now Homer Ford) named John Wilkerson cajoled a hyper-shy 10-year-old girl to stop spectating and start participating.

As soon as Zina Garrison started cracking forehands, Wilkerson knew he might be seeing something special. A friend of Garrison's, Lori McNeil, showed similar potential. A few years later, Wilkerson phoned the tennis writer at the Houston Post and invited him to visit the courts to take a look, saying, "I promise I've got a future Wimbledon champion out here."

Neither Garrison, who toured professionally from 1982 through 1997, nor McNeil (1983-2002) would conquer Centre Court, but the former did play for the Wimbledon championship in 1990 and the latter was a Wimbledon semifinalist in 1994. Both also reached the semifinals at the U.S. Open, won major mixed-doubles crowns and, together, collected 24 titles and 1,000 match victories on the women's tour. A gold medalist in doubles in the 1988 Olympics, Garrison got as high as No. 4 in the world rankings a year later. McNeil achieved her career high of No. 9 on July 4, 1988.

They also inspired Venus and Serena Williams to believe that they, too, could make a living from tennis, even if they hailed from Compton, Calif. The sisters were watching on television when Garrison took the court against Martina Navratilova on Wimbledon's final Saturday 26 years ago, and, while it made them sad to see her lose 6-4, 6-1, it didn't deter them.

"Probably the first time I met Serena," Garrison said recently, "she told me about how they went right out afterwards and practiced against each other."

More Information

Their careers

Zina Garrison

Olympics

Gold, 1988

Wimbledon

Final, 1990

U.S. Open

Semifinals, 1988-89

Australian Open

Semifinals, 1983

French Open

Quarterfinals, 1982

Highest ranking

No. 4, 1989

Lori McNeil Wimbledon

Semifinals, 1994

U.S. Open

Semifinals, 1987

Australian Open

Quarterfinals, 1987

French Open

Third round, 1988, '92, '94

Highest ranking

No. 9, 1988

It was Garrison's older brother, Rodney, who first piqued her interest in tennis, but she already had shown plenty of athletic prowess, winning at track and playing fast-pitch softball with 14- and 15-year-olds. She had natural hand-eye coordination, and when she first started entering tournaments at 12, she was always the strongest, most athletic girl on the court.

Within two years, she had won the girls 18s national title, earning an audience with the great Gibson herself, who invited Garrison to a 10-day clinic in which she got to play with a number of pros, including Leslie Allen and Kim Sands, African-African women who had established themselves on the WTA Tour. She held her own, too. Wimbledon and U.S. Open junior championships followed, after which she got a chance to rally with U.S. Open champion Tracy Austin. After whacking balls for an hour or so, Austin pronounced her ready to hit the circuit.

"Zina's a fighter," Wilkerson said at the time. "She's got a lot of desire. When you consider how far she has come already in a short time, it's hard to say how far she can go."

To Paris, for starters. Instead of attending her Ross Sterling High School graduation in May 1982, Garrison debuted in the main draw of the French Open. With Wilkerson as her coach, she advanced to the quarterfinals, losing to Navratilova.

A year later, she made the quarters of the Australian Open and finished the season 10th in the world rankings. She won her first Tour title in 1984 and advanced to the Wimbledon semis in 1985, losing to Navratilova in a far tighter match than their final five years down the road would be. And she got the best of Navratilova at the 1988 U.S. Open, reaching the first of back-to-back semifinals at Flushing Meadow by surviving Navratilova's comeback from a one-set down, love-5 deficit. Garrison eventually prevailed 6-4, 6-7, 7-5.

However, facing Gabriela Sabatini in the semifinals, she failed to seize the many opportunities the young Argentine gave her and dropped a match she knows she should have won. The following September, Navratilova regained the upper hand, depriving Garrison of a first major final.

Garrison would give herself a final chance at a major, finally making it through to the last day of a Slam the following summer at the All England Club, impressively taking out Monica Seles and Steffi Graf in the quarters and the semis before falling to Navratilova in the final.

Although Garrison played for seven more years, she never again advanced beyond the quarterfinals in a major. It would instead be McNeil who delivered a last hurrah on behalf of the Houston "sisters" when she scored a stunning - and historically unprecedented - upset of the defending champion, Graf, in the first round at Wimbledon in 1994, then roared into the semifinals, dropping just a single set.

At 30, McNeil was playing the best tennis of her life and Conchita Martinez, a journeywoman pro known for her clay-court skill, was all that stood between McNeil and a Wimbledon final of her own. It could have been McNeil's moment to seize, giving her a chance to avenge her Houston "sister's" loss to Navratilova four years earlier. Instead, the Spaniard prevailed in a grueling 10-8 third set, then won her only major championship at Navratilova's expense.

But the story had a happy ending for all.

Today, the Zina Garrison Tennis Academy in southwest Houston, with McNeil as the director, is thriving (Garrison commutes from her home in Virginia). Wilkerson continues to coach up a storm despite having undergone a hip replacement. More than 25,000 kids have passed through the program, gaining life skills and learning tennis from people who know plenty about both.

"It's kind of hard not to grow up as a humanitarian in Houston because people are there for you, people like John," Garrison said during the Academy's 20-year anniversary celebration in 2013, attended by sports luminaries such as Billie Jean King, Jackie Joyner-Kersee and Carl Lewis. "I was fortunate enough to share my gift for tennis and bring it back to Houston, to go full circle with what John started with me a long time ago."